Publication Type: Spoken PaperReview Method: Peer ReviewedAbstract: Flower dances were developed on the basis of theory and practice by the English physician Dr. Edward Bach. In 1917, the scientist was diagnosed with spleen cancer and given only three months left to live. He resisted the disease and the result of his tireless experimenting process was the development of the flower essence therapy. His efforts proved that will and love for work can change the course of an illness. He recovered and kept improving the method that offers one of the possibilities of curing inner psychophysical imbalances – effects of negative spiritual and emotional states. Realizing that it is the personality that has to be treated and not the illness itself helps to develop positive character features and recognize the negative sides of one's personality. Thirty-eight flower essences can help to eliminate negative emotional states and raise individual's immunity to various illnesses. Flower dance choreographies were put together by Anastasia Geng from Latvia in the late eighties and nineties. In her group therapeutic activities she found that many Latvian dances have healing energy similar to Bach flower remedies. After this discovery she developed choreographies for 38 dances and named them after flowers from the doctor's collection.

Circle dances are simple. The repeating rhythmic-melodic patterns trigger simultaneous feelings of down-to-earthness and elation, oneness and uniqueness, inner tranquility and creative urge. Dance choreographies contain symbolic movements that helps one overcome obstacles and opens an individual to positive emotional states. The bird's-eye view offers an image of a dance in form of a mandala, which is linked to a healing effect of single flower essences. Most of the dances are accompanied by Latvian folk music and also by music of other European countries and their folk tradition. The songs are rhythmically simple, in major-minor tonal systems and mostly in two-or three-part song forms. Besides an exceptionally positive response of pupils the introduction of Bach’s flower dances into musical education has also shown significant positive changes in reduction of children's hyperactivity and their greater motivation for taking an active part in the education process. The statistical analysis of the data from a month long experiment was carried out on the basis of 3 measuring instruments, two evaluation scales and a questionnaire.